Vehicle traffic sign



May 5, 1970 Filed Jan. 31, 1968 E; c. KERN 3,509,652

VEHICLE TRAFFIC sum 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Earl C. Kern May 5, 1970 E. c. KERN 3,509,52

VEHICLE TRAFFIC SIGN Filed Jan. 31, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 5, 1970 E. c. KERN 3,509,652

VEHICLE TRAFFIC SIGN Filed Jan. 51, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 (STOP? United States Patent O 3,509,652 VEHICLE TRAFFIC SIGN Earl C. Kern, 11578 N. Tully Road, Lodi, Calif. 95240 Filed Jan. 31, 1968, Ser. No. 702,060 Int. Cl. G09f 7/00 U.S. 'Cl. 40125 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A traffic-guidance sign arrangement for the benefit of vehicle drivers using a roadway, and features an inclined symbolic bar directly associated with a sign and which bar is-as an indicatorinclined in a plane transversely of the roadway.

With present day trafiic, it is difficult-particularly on high speed highways, such as freeways or expresswaysfor a driver to readily determine (while at the same time giving attention to operation of the vehicle in a manner requisite to safety) the specific trafiic channel, lane, or roadway to which the sign pertains.

It is, therefore, the major object of this invention to provide a vehicle trafiic sign with a novel, readily visible physical characteristicother than the wording or symbols on the sign-which serves to positively and quickly locate for, or indicate to, an approaching driver the related traffic channel, lane, or roadway.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a vehicle trafiic sign, as in the preceding paragraph, wherein said novel physical characteristic comprises, as an indicator, a. post or bar transversely inclined in a predetermined direction and disposed in a visually unobstructed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle traffic sign, as above, in which the inclined post or bar may be distinctively colored, as well as made luminous or fluorescent, to enhance its visibility to an approaching driver.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle traflic sign which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and durable vehicle trafiic sign and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective outline of a highway having a turnoff lane leading therefrom; the viewby way of exampleshowing the use of vehicle traffic signs, embodying the present invention, in relation to said lane.

FIGS. 2-5, inclusive, are somewhat diagrammatic elevations illustrating modified arrangements of the inclined post or bar of the sign.

FIG. 6 is an outline showing a highway intersection; the viewby way of another exampleshowing the use of a STOP sign embodying the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, and particularly at present to FIG. 1, the main highway 1 has a turnoff lane 2 leading from the right-hand side thereof. Mounted along the side of highway 1 some distance ahead of the lane 2 is a lane indicating sign designated generally at 3. Such sign 3 includes a panel 4 on which suitable lettering relative to the lane 2 is applied as indicated at 5; the panel being set transversely of the highway as usual.

3,509,652 Patented May 5, 1970 The sign panel 4 is supported on an upstanding post 6 which spans behind said panel and projects some distance thereabove as shown at 6a.

At least the side of the post which faces the oncoming trafiic is preferably provided with a surface 7 of a distinctive color, and which surface may also be luminous or fluorescent.

The most important feature of the upstanding post 6 is that it is disposed at an angle to the perpendicular in a vertical plane extending transversely of the highway; the incline of the post from its lower end upwardly being in a predetermined direction. Such inclined post 6 constitutes the lane indicator of the sign.

More particularly, the indicator post is inclined upwardly in a direction away from the lane to which the sign relates. Thus the post 6 of sign 3 quickly indicates to an initiated driver that the turnoff is to be made into lane 2 after passing said sign.

With further reference to FIG. 1 and as an additional aid to a driver approaching lane 2 and desiring to enter the same, another sign is provided as follows:

A sign 8, similar to sign 3, is mounted at the entrance to lane 2 in a corner or island 9 between the highway 1 and said lane 2. The sign 8 is consequently disposed to the left of lane 2, and in this position of the sign its post 6b inclines upwardly in a direction opposite the post 6 of sign 3. As post 6b is known to incline away from the lane to which the sign relates, again the driver has a clear directive to enter said lane 2.

Also, when two signs are used as in FIG. 1 (with one sign on each side of the lane 2 and with the posts 6 and 6b oppositely inclined as described), such posts form-in elr'ecta V impression to the approaching driver and indicate to him that he must pass to the left of post 6 and to the right of post 6b in order to enter said lane 2.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2-5, the sign panel 4 may be mounted or arranged in connection with indicator posts or bars in different ways.

In FIG. 2, for instance, the inclined post 60 is arranged substantially the same as that shown in FIG. 1, but the sign panel 4 is closer to the ground; the post is correspondingly shorter, and is disposed somewhat further to the left on the panel.

In FIG. 3, the sign panel 4 is very close to the ground, being supported on stub-like standards 10; the inclined post or bar 6d in this case only appearing above the panel.

In FIG. 4, the sign panel 4 is supported solely by the inclined post 6e which, however, does not project above the panel.

In FIG. 5, the sign panel 4 is supported on vertical transversely spaced standards 11; the inclined post 6] being arranged in substantially the same relation to the panel as in the arrangement shown in FIG. 2.

In FIG. 6, the inclined indicator post feature is shown as used with a conventional highway STOP sign panel 12. In this illustration, the sign is used at the intersection of two highways indicated at 13 and 14; the inclined post 15 which supports the sign 12 being mounted in and upstanding from an island 16 which separates the intersecting portion of the highway 13 from the right-hand tu noff portion or lane 17 thereof. The upward inclination of the post 15 is away from highway 13, thus indieating to the initiated driver that the sign 12 is referenced to highway portion 13 and not to the turnoif 17.

The inclined post feature of the present invention may also be employed to advantage in connection with many other types of vehicle trafiic signs. For example, on a one-way provided at one end and at the side with a DO NOT ENTER sign, the indicator post of the sign would incline upwardly in a direction away from such lane. This immediately informs all drivers that the sign relates to the lane away from which the post inclines upwardly.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a vehicle traffic sign as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the vehicle trafiic sign, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which letters Patent is desired:

1. In the combination of a main vehicle roadway having a secondary lane extending gradually away therefrom for optional entry by a vehicle traveling on said roadway; and two traflic-guidance signs each having an arrow and lettered indicia thereon related to said lane and disposed in a position facing and visible to a driver of a vehicle on said roadway while approaching the point of departure of said lane from said roadway; said signs being longitudinally spaced from each other along said roadway with one of said signs being located prior to the departure point of said lane from said roadway, and the other of said signs being located between said lane and said roadway after said lane has departed from said roadway, each of said signs being combined with a symbolic bar extending above and below said sign, said bar being disposed at an upward '4- a 1 incline in a laterally outward direction relative to the side of said lane; said symbolic bars thereby being inclined in opposite directions with respect to one another to optically cooperate with one another and create a V imression to the approaching driver to indicate to him that he must pass to the left of said sign located prior to said departure point of said lane, and to the right of said sign located between said lane and said roadway in order to enter said lane.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,238,387 8/1917 Buck 40145 X 1,744,635 1/ 1930 Holder 248-159 2,193,747 3/ 1940 Thompson.

2,834,133 5/1958 'Carmack 40-145 X 3,243,104 3/1966 US. Cl. X.R. 94l.5 

